Landing light



July 17, 1934. D. I ,YBRUNER ,1,966,436

LANDING LIGHT Filed Sept. 25, 1932 INI/ENTOR Da/H40 L. 5er/NEE. lay/flle@ .5f K E Z a( A TTvg/Vzgr Patented July 17, 1934 Y LANDING LIGHT Donald LfBrune'r, Unitlfd. States Army, Dayton.,

Applieation september 23, 1932, serial No. 634,539

' 7 claims. (o1. 24o- 7.7)

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by o-r for the Government for governmental purposes, without the' payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates generally to landing lights for aircraft or the like and'more particularly to improvements which are directed toward providing a landing light for mounting inv the wing of said aircraft. v

The primary object of the present invention is 'Y to provide a fixed lamp of this character adapted to be rpartially housed within the Wing and partially projecting therefrom, the projecting portion being characterized by having a streamlined Lrhhousing or lamp Vbody forminimizing wind ref sistance. y

A further object of` the present invention isto provide in a light of this character a reflector so constructed and arranged such that the focus of gcjsaid reflector may be readily disposed angularly inward 01 outward with respect tothe longitu-A dinal axis 'of the lamp body. w

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a lamp that is cheaper in construc- 25 tiong, lighter in weight and, lower in headvresis- A'tance than other devices ofl this nature and one which is readily interchangeable to adapt the same for either Wingof an aircraft. n

` Other'features of the invention reside in the yconstruction and mounting of the reflector and support thereof within the wing.

The full nature of the invention will be under,- stood from the accompanying drawing and the following description. and claims, wherein: 35 Fig. l is a front 'elevationof the lamp in the preferred embodiment of my invention; v

Fig. 2 isa section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan View thereof; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View showing the construction of the flanged end of the reflector.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein corresponding parts are designated by like numerals throughout the several views, the v"device in the preferred embodiment of my invention herein illustrated comprises generally a mounting plate 10, which is arcuate in longitudinal cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, to conform 50).,-to the streamline contour of the leading edge "of the Wing of an aircraft. This mounting plate is provided with a plurality of openings 11 for receiving screws or the like to secure the mounting plate in flush relationship with the wing for ggaircraft in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3.

As will be noted by referring to Fig. 3, thisv mounting plate maybe formedr of two sections 12 and 13, which are adaptedv to be secured together as at 14, each section being formed'at its forward end with a bulged portion 15 adapted whenv .united together to forma lamp body or housing which is cylindrical in` transverse cross-section and in streamline continuation of said mounting plate.

As shown in Fig. 5 the forward end of-the lampl housing is provided with an annular flange 16 providing a seat for the flanged-end 17 of a parabolical reflector v18. A.It will be noted thatl the reflector 18 is mountedat an-angle withrespect to the longitudinal axisof the lampbody, This is accomplished by so forming'the reflector 18-` such that its flanged end 17 forms an acute angle with respect to a line normal to its longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane. The inner end of the reflector Y18 is formed with a` tubular socket support 19 for receiving a conventional socket 20 having electrical connections 21, Said socket mounts an incandescent lamp bulb 22 Within the reflector 18 in the usual manner.

The flanged end 16 of the housing is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed openings 23 and 24 within which is adapted to register a stud 25 fixed to the flanged end of the reflector so as to permit positioning of the reflector 18 angularlyV inward relative to the housing and securing the Vsame in its angular position.

- 27 locked about its peripheral edge and .provided with an inturned annular flange 28 adapted to v grip against the inner rflanged end of the lamp housing. The` split endsof the rim 27 are provided with clamp rings 29 and 30. The ring 30 is provided with a spring threaded opening, the ring 29 is provided with an opening, each being adapted for accommodating a screw 31 for tightening therrim 27 to hold the reflector fixed securely upon the mounting plate.

In order to cut off stray light, a light deflector 32y is provided forward of the light bulb 22. This deflector comprises a plurality of concentrieally disposed tubes 33, the tubes being spaced parallel to one another throughout their length.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that with the stud 25 registering in the opening 23, the reflector. 18 Will be focused anguf larly inwardly from left to right as shownvby the angle A in Fig. 2 and with the stud 25 registering in the opening 24 the angular focus of the reflector will be reversed as indicated by angle ssi' miiv

A in Fig. 2. By reason of the above-described construction a unitary landing light is provided having a minimum of wind resistance and which will permit ready adjustment of the reflector in its housing without changing the contour of the light to not only spread the light laterally but provide a distinct beam forward and angularly for illuminating the ground in front of the aircraft in the more immediate vicinity.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lamp body, together with its mounting plate are disposed angularly downward as indicated by the angle B, with respect to the chord line of the airfoil section of the wing.

I claim:

1. A unitary landing light for aircraft comprising a mounting plate arcuate in fore-and-aft cross-section to conform to the streamline contour of the leading edge of the wing of said aircraft, a lamp body integrally formed with said mounting plate having a transverse cross section greater than the cross section of the mounting plate but no greater than the cross section at its trailing edge, a reflector and means for adjustably holding said reflector in said lamp body.

2. A unitary landing light for aircraft comprising a mounting plate arcuate in fore-andaft cross-section to conform to the streamline contour of the leading edge of the wing of said aircraft, a lamp body integrally formed with said mounting plate having a forward transverse cross section greater than the cross section of the mounting plate at its leading edge but no greater than the cross section at its trailing edge, a reflector mounted in said lamp body having a predetermined angle of inward focus relative thereto, said reflector being mounted in said lamp body in such a manner that its angle of inward focus may be readily reversed.

3. A unitary landing light for aircraft comprising a mounting plate arcuate in fore-and-aft cross-section to conform to the streamline contour of the leading edge of the wing of said aircraft, said mounting plate being provided with a forward bulged portion forming a lamp body and a reflector mounted in said lamp body having its axis of focus disposed inwardly and angularly with respect to the longitudinal airis of said body.

4. A unitary landing light for aircraft comprising a mounting plate arcuate in fore-and-aft cross-section to conform to the streamline contour of the leading edge of the wing of said aircraft, said mounting plate being provided with a forward bulged portion forming a lamp body, a reflector in said lamp body, the forward edge of said reflector in a horizontal plane forming an acute angle with respect to a line normal to its longitudinal axis to obtain an angular focus of said reflector.

5. A unitary landing light for aircraft comprising a mounting plate arcuate in fore-and-aft cross-section to conform to the streamline contour of the leading edge of the wing of said aircraft, a lamp body integrally formed with said mounting plate and having a flanged forward edge, a reflector mounted in said lamp body provided at its outer end with a anged portion adapted to seat against said body flange, the flanged portion of said refiector in the horizontal plane forming an acute angle with respect to a line normal to the longitudinal axis of said reflector to obtain an angular focus of said reflector.

6. A unitary landing light for aircraft comprising a mounting plate arcuate in fore-and-aft cross-section to conform to the streamline contour of the leading edge of the wind of said aircraft, a lamp body integrally formed with said mounting plate and having aflangedforwardedge, a reflector mounted in said lamp body provided at its outer end with a anged portion adapted to seat against said body ange, the flanged portion of said reflector in the horizontal plane forming an acute angle with respect to a line normal to the longitudinal axis of said reflector to obtain an angular focus of said reflector, one of said flanged portions being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed openings, the other flanged portion being provided with a stud adapted to register in either of said openings in setting the inward angle of focus of said reflector.

7. A unitary landing light for aircraft comprising a mounting plate arcuate in fore-and-aft cross-section to conform to the streamline contour of the leading edge of the wing of said aircraft, a lamp body integrally formed with said mounting plate and having a flanged forward edge, a reflector mounted in said lamp body provided at its outer end with a flanged portion adapted to seat against said body flange, theV flanged portion of said reflector in the horizontal plane forming an acute angle with respect to a line normal to the longitudinal axis of said reflector to obtain an angular focus of said reilector, one of said hanged portions being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed openings, the other flanged portion being provided with a stud adapted to register in either of said openings in setting the inward angle of focus of said reflector, and locking means for locking said reflector in predetermined angles of inward focus horizontal.

DONALD L. BRUNER. 

